Shelving unit



L. MASLOW SHELVING UNIT Jan. 5, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' Filed Oct. 5, 1955 INVENTOR.

LOUIS MASLOW BY W Jan. 5, 1960 MASLOW 2,919,815

SHELVING UNIT Filed 001;. 5, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 LOUIS MASLOW INVENTOR.

United States Patent SHELVING UNIT Louis Maslow, Brooklyn, N.Y. Application October 5, 1955, Serial No. 538,591 Claims. 01. 211-148 The invention disclosed herein relates to improvements in furniture such as cabinets, shelves, bookcases or the like which can be rapidly assembled, dismantled or modified to providea varied assortment of furniture shapes.

Conventional household or ofiice furniture of the above class in addition to being expensive are not conveniently portable nor adapted for modification limiting thereby the functional and aesthetic deployment thereof.

, In the instant invention substantially similar latticed frames are provided in combination with an improved form of couplin means whereby a plurality of the frames can be secured, assembled or conveniently dismantled without the aid of any tools whatsoever by an unskilled person. Thus furniture shapes of various sizes and designs can be readily assembled by the homemaker him self economically.

Consequently the primary object of this invention is the provision of an inexpensive furniture construction adapted for mass production and fabrication, which can readily be assembled or modified into a varied assortment of furniture shapes or dismantled for forming substantially similar portable units by an unskilled operator without the aid of tools of any kind.

Another inventive object is the provision of economical structural units designed particularly for mass production techniques wherein a plurality of these units can readily be removably interconnected to provide a large variety of sturdy stylish furniture and wherein the units are designed particularly for interconnection by an unskilled person without the aid of tools whatsoever.

A further inventive object is the provision of furniture comprising a plurality of substantially similar units which can readilybe dismantled or assembled without special skill or tools and wherein the dismantled units can be stacked into portable bundles occupying a minimum of space for transportation or storage purposes.

A still further inventive object is the provision of an inexpensive latticed furniture construction, comprising an assemblage of substantially similar latticed units interconnected with special securing means which do not require any special skill or the aid of tools.

A still further inventive object is the provision of latticed furniture of the foregoing class, wherein the units are fiat rectangular sections which are removably coupled transversely with an inexpensive coupling device which can be applied to or removed from the adjoining ends of the transverse units by a simple manual operation not requiring skill nor tools.

Further objects and novel advantageous features of this invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description, appended claims and annexed drawings in which: I

Figure l is a plan view of a furniture assembly utilizing the instant invention showing a horizontal latticed shelf or frame coupled to latticed spaced vertical supporting frames by means of novel coupling devices;

Figure 2 is a partial front elevational view of the same piece er furniture;

to the socket 24 is a channel section Fig. 3 is a full perspective view of a furniture assembly such as a bookcase or shelf assembly incorporating the instant invention;

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view of one of the joints of the structure shown in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the joint seen along plane 5-5 of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is a plan view of a developed blank used to fabricate the special coupling device;

Figures 7 and 8 are partial bottom plan and front elevational views respectively of a form of horizontally and vertically extended shelving assembly;

Figure 9 is a partial front elevational view of another form of horizontally extended shelving assembly; and

Figure 10 is an end elevational view of a form of shelving assembly in which the horizontal and vertical supports are formed of similar units.

Referring now to Figures 1 through 3, the horizontal shelves or lattice frames are each seen to comprise a series of parallel equally spaced ribs l0, integrally joined by welding or the like to a series of uniformly spaced transverse support rods ll, 12 and 13. The support rods ll and 13 form the lateral ends of the frame with the rod 12 providing an intermediate support for the superimposed ribs lil. Although the rods and the ribs are depicted as circular in crosssection, other shapes such as triangular, rectangular, etc. can be employed. The frame members are preferably fabricated from steel, however, other materials such as iron, aluminum, copper, brass, plastic, etc. can be used within the scope of the invention. it should be also noted that the connection between the ends of the ribs or the rods do not extend beyond the exterior surfaces of the frame perimeter, eliminating thereby hazardous projections. The front and rear edges of the frame are formed by pairs of spaced ribs 1.4 and 35. The rods ill, 12 and 13 are secured by welding or the like terminally between the pairs of ribs 14 and 15 (see Figure 2). Consequently the strength of the frame longitudinally is reinforced by the provision of the rib pairs 14 and 15. For functions to be disclosed the ends of the rib pairs 14 and 15 project a small distance beyond the rods 11 and 13. in the assembly of Figure 3 the spaced vertical frames 16 and 17 are each seen to comprise spaced parallel pairs of supports 18 and 19 which are adapted to fit snugly into block footings 2% and 21 at their lower ends providing a vertical supporting structure for the horizontal frames. Transverse stiffeners 22 are secured by welding at a uniform spacing to the supports 13 and 1? with the ends of the stifieners disposed between each of the pairs of supports.

To form an assembly such as depicted in Figure 3, a pair of vertical frames such as in and 17 are mounted on two pairs of footings 2t) and 21 with a series of horizontal frames shown in Figure l placed between the vertical frames with the axes of the ribs 14 and 15 in alignment with the axes of the supports 13 and 19 respectively. The frames in and 1'7 are spaced sufficiently to permit the ends of the ribs lid and 15 to clear the supports- 18 and 19 with the rib pairs 14 and 15 being slightly spaced above one of the vertical frame stiffeners 22. When, as will be fully disclosed, the coupling devices are attached to adjoining portions of the ribs 14 and 15 and the supports 13 and 19 to form rigid joints, the stiffeners immediately underlying the horizontal frames will provide a bearing for the said horizontal frames retaining the said horizontal frames at a desired elevation.

In Figure 5 the details of the novel coupling 23 are more clearly seen; the said coupling 23 comprises a substantially semicircular socket 1% adapted to receive therein snugly a support such as 18 or 19. integrally joined 25 comprising a web 26 and spaced flanges 27 which project approximately transversely from the web 26. At the end of the coupling remote from the socket 24 there is provided a tab 28 having a neck 29 and an enlarged head 34) which projects transversely from the web 26 in the same direction as the flanges 27. The head 3 is spaced further from the Web than the edges of the flanges. in Figure 6 a developed blank is shown from which the coupling is formed. The configuration of the coupling as shown in Figure 5 is derived from the blank of Figure 6 by first bending the similarly designated blank portions along the dotted lines towards the observer. The socket portion 24 is bent approximately into semicircular shape. It should be realized that the shape of the socket can be varied to coact with supports of noncircular shape if such non-circular shapes are used in the formation of the vertical frames.

To effect a rigid joint with the above described coupling (refer to Figure 5), the coupling 23 is first placed in a position 90 clockwise from the finally mounted position shown in Figure 5. The tab 28 is inserted between the ribs 35 until the head 39 projects beyond the inner surfaces of the ribs 15. (Note: the joint of Figure 5 is the uppermost rear joint at the left side of Figure 3 as seen from plane 55.) When so positioned the neck 29 will be adjacent the ribs 15. By now twisting the coupling 90 counterclockwise the fillets bounding the neck 29 will snugly partially encompass the opposing surfaces of the ribs with the head 30 falling behind the ribs remote from the Web. This is the mounted position shown in Figure 5. The flanges 27 fit snugly about the upper and lower surfaces of the ribs 15 in a retaining manner. Note that the head 39, the flanges 27, the neck 29 and the web 26 provide retaining abutments preventing transverse displacement between the ribs and the coupling. The ends of the ribs 15 just clear the innermost portion of the socket 24. The joint is then completed by placing a vertical support 31 (note: 31 could be any one of the supports 18 or 19) within the socket. Axial movement by the ribs relative to the support 31 cannot take place since the rod 11 will abut the head 3i which in turn will cause the socket 24 to engage the support 31. When the coupling is so mounted the lower edge 32 of the socket 24 bears on one of the vertical frame stiifeners 2.2 retaining the horizontal frame at a desired elevation. This latter feature is better seen in the assembly of Figure 3.

When all the four corners of the horizontal frame are so coupled to the vertical supports 18 and 19, a rigid structure results preventing lateral, angular or axial displacement between the horizontal and vertical frames.

To dismantle the assembly, each of the sockets 24 is displaced from the supports 18 and H and the coupling rotated 90 until the tab is parallel with the rib axes. In the latter position the coupling can be easily withdrawn from the frames.

It is now apparent that furniture of various shapes and sizes can readily be assembled or dismantled by a simple manual operation involving the mounting of the disclosed coupling without the aid of tools. The operation can be performed by almost anyone.

It is also evident that the latticed frames are especially adaptable to fabrication by mass production techniques thereby maintaining minimum costs. Due to the regular rectangular shape of both the horizontal and lateral frames, the individual frames can be efficiently stacked into readily transportable and storageable bundles. The latticed structure reduces the weight to a minimum.

The coupling device 23 can be economically produced by stamping and then pressed into the proper shape with appropriate dies. Consequently the utilization of mass production methods can produce the said coupling at an extremely low cost.

Figures 7, 8 and 9 illustrate some of the ways in which the basic components herein disclosed may be employed to extend a shelving assembly horizontally and vertically.

4 Figures 7 and 8 illustrate one form of horizontal and vertical extension of the assembly. In this form the pairs of vertical supports 18 forming part of vertical frames 15 and 17 (not completely shown) are superimposed upon a similar pair of vertical supports 18 and the coupling elements 23 carried by horizontal shelf 33 are positioned at the junction of these upper and lower elements thus supporting said frames one upon the other and simultaneously retaining the horizontal shelf in position. Horizontal extension of the shelving assembly along ends of the horizontal shelf 33 is accomplished by similarly positioning horizontal shelf frames 34 and 35. Figure 9 illustrates the manner in which a shelving assembly may be horizontally extended with the shelves in a staggered relation. The vertical support 18 carries shelf frames 36 and 37 which are mounted thereon by means of couplings 23 and extend in one direction whereas a similar shelf frame 38 is positioned intermediately in staggered relation and extends in the other direction. Figure 10 is an end elevational view of a shelving assembly illustrating the fact that the shelf frame units may be used interchangeably as vertical supports thereby greatly simplifying the manufacturing process in that basic form of frame as illustrated in Figure 1 serves both as a horizontal and vertical support.

It should be further understood that the depicted embodiments represent preferred forms of the invention and that the many other forms resulting from changes in size, shape, material, arrangement, etc., are all contemplated herein.

Having thus duly disclosed in detail the nature of the invention a grant of Letters Patent is desired for the invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A furniture assembly comprising a thin rigid frame, transverse supports therefor and a removable one piece coupling securing the frame to the supports, said frame including end projections in alignment with the supports, said projections having spaced portions providing a slot parallel to the axis of the projections, said couplings each comprising a channel portion removably encompassing the projections including means which can be reciprocated through the slot transversely when the channel is disengaged from the projections, said means causing the channel to be securely afiixed to the projection when the channel is mounted on the projection, the said coupling further including a socket transverse to the channel adapted to encompass a transverse support thereby locking the support to the frame, the coup ing being removable by moving the channel to the position permitting the transverse movement of the said means through the slot.

2. A furniture assembly comprising a rectangular latticed frame, transverse supports and independent one piece couplings removably securing the frame to the supports, the said frame further comprising opposite ends, and longitudinal front and rear edges transverse to the ends, the said ends including spaced projections in alignment with the said edges, said couplings each including means for grasping securely each of the projections when in one position relative to the axis of the projection, and when moved to a second position relative to the projections, said means becoming disengaged from the projections whereby the coupling can be removed, said couplings including sockets adapted to snugly encompass a portion of the supports of a similar frame when the coupling is in the said one position.

3. A furniture assembly comprising a rectangular latticed frame including longitudinal front and rear parallel ribs and transverse rods securing the ribs together in combination with independent one piece couplings securing the corners of the frame to rods of a similar frame perpendicular to the plane of the frame and in alignment with the axis of the ribs, said couplings including portions for grasping securely the ribs when in a first position relative to the rib axes, said portions becoming disengaged from the ribs when moved to a second position relative to the rib axis, said couplings including a socket perpendicular to the frame to snugly encompass the ribs of a similar frame when the coupling is in the first said position.

4. A furniture assembly comprising a frame, vertical supports and an independent one piece coupling for removably securing the frame to the supports, said frame comprising parallel front and rear pairs of ribs secured to transverse rods forming opposite frame sides, each pair of ribs being spaced in a direction transverse to the plane of the frame, the said rods being terminally disposed between each pair of ribs, the said coupling comprising a channel section dimensioned to fit snugly axially about a pair of ribs, including a tab connected to one end of the channel having a neck portion whose width fits snugly between the rib pairs and a head of greater width than the spacing between each pair of ribs, said tab extending at right angles from the channel towards the ribs, the plane of the tab being perpendicular t0 the rib axes when the coupling is mounted on the ribs, the thickness of the tab being substantially less than the rib spacing whereby rotational movement of the coupling to a position wherein the plane of the tab is parallel to the rib axes will permit the coupling to be removed from the frame, the said coupling further including a socket whose axis is normal to the channel axis, said socket being positioned and dimensioned to partially engage and encompass a support when the channel is mounted on the ribs.

5. A coupling adapted to secure a parallel pair of spaced bars to a vertical bar whose axis is perpendicular to the axes of the spaced bars and is in the same plane defined by the said axes comprising a channel section having opposing flanges spaced to snugly abut and encompass the outer surfaces of the spaced bars, a socket section whose axis is perpendicular to the axis of the channel section and a tab projecting integrally from the channel remote from the socket and substantially at right angles to the channel, said tab including a head larger than the space between the spaced bars and a neck joining the head and the channel, said head being of sufiicient Width to engage both spaced bars when the neck extends through the spaced bars, said coupling being movable to a position wherein the head can be reciprocated into and out of the space between the spaced bar.

6. A furniture assembly comprising normally horizontal frames, normally vertical frames supporting the said horizontal frames and couplings for interconnecting the horizontal and vertical frames to provide a rigid structure, said horizontal frames being substantially rectangular and including opposite ends having projections,

said projections having terminal portions providing a slot.

parallel to the axes of the projections, said vertical frames including vertical supports in alignment with said projections, the said couplings including channel and tab means for respectively abutting with opposing portions of said projections and socket means for abutment with said vertical support to provide a rigid joint therebetween, said coupling being movable to a position wherein the coupling is disengaged from both the projections and the support.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

